Back in 2007, we said:

...If you include the Tribute, Mazda has already been playing in the fast-growing crossover segment, a category that is expected to outsell conventional sport-utility vehicles this year. But the Tribute, a thinly-disguised version of the Ford Escape, never really did much for the Asian marque, never really fit into the sporty niche Mazda has been carving out for itself any more than the boxy MPV minivan. The CX-7 — along with the CX-9, the big brother due out early next year — make up another breed entirely... Read More